by Matthew Lucas, PhD
How Can Performing Real-Ear Measurements Save Time?
Incorporating real-ear measurements into a clinic’s workflow can maximize patient satisfaction, ensure audibility, and reduce the number of follow-up visits.
A recent systemic review by Almufarrij et al.1 reports that performing real-ear measurements results in improved listening ability, improved speech-intelligibility in quiet and in noise, improved sound quality, and an overall improvement in patient preference. Incorporating real-ear measurements into your clinic will provide patients the most benefit from their hearing devices, leading to fewer follow-up appointments and a reduction in the number of hearing aid returns.
How Can Hearing Aid Verification System Features Save Time?
Incorporating real-ear measurements into your clinical workflow can be challenging. However, there are several features of the Audioscan Verifit2 that are designed to improve measurement accuracy, improve fitting efficiency, and reduce the number of follow-up appointments required for patients.
Assisted Probe Tube Placement
ProbeGUIDE is a real-time, software-assisted probe tube placement tool. As the probe tube enters the ear canal and approaches the tympanic membrane, ProbeGUIDE tracks the depth of the probe tube and indicates when the probe tube is in the correct position within 5 mm of the eardrum. The tool is designed to eliminate continuously checking of probe tube location via otoscopy for fast, confident probe tube placement.
Simultaneous Binaural Verification
The Verifit2 is the only verification system available on the market that is fully binaural, with simultaneous binaural real-ear and test box measurements. This means that hearing care professionals can simultaneously test both the right and left hearing aids either on-ear or in the test box, reducing the time required for hearing aid verification. In addition, simultaneous binaural ensured measurements accurately reflect real-world hearing aid performance where advanced features such as noise reduction and adaptive directionality maximize the benefit by adjusting the processing based on sound arriving at both ears.
Automated Verification
VerifitLINK is Audioscan’s proprietary automatic verification tool. This timesaving tool allows automatic fitting of hearing aids to prescriptive targets through the hearing aid fitting software. Users of VerifitLINK can program hearing aids to prescriptive targets in a shorter amount of time than traditional methods, allowing for more time counseling patients and teaching patients how to get the most out of their hearing devices. VerifitLINK is designed to allow efficient matching of hearing aids to prescriptive targets, so hearing care specialists can spend more time ensuring their patients have the best possible hearing experience.
Networking Clinic Equipment
A simple method to save time within a clinic is to network equipment for easy data transfer across devices. The Verifit2 can become part of a clinic’s networked solution with Noah 4 via the optional Audioscan Noah Module. HCPs can efficiently import audiometric data and previous Speechmap sessions into the Verifit2 using the Audioscan Noah Module for seamless integration with a clinic’s audiometer, such as the GSI Pello.
Conclusion
There are plenty of benefits to incorporating real-ear measurements into a clinic, none more important than improving patients’ hearing aid outcomes. Improving the patient experience can reduce the amount of follow-up visits, which will free up time to see more patients and grow a clinic’s business. The efficiency of Noah 4 integration makes the Verifit2 a solid verification solution option to consider partnering with the GSI Pello.
Matthew Lucas, PhD, is the marketing manager at Audioscan.
References
1. Almufarrij I, Dillon H, Munro KJ. Does Probe-Tube Verification of Real-Ear Hearing Aid Amplification Characteristics Improve Outcomes in Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Trends Hear. 2021 Jan-Dec;25:2331216521999563. doi: 10.1177/2331216521999563. PMID: 33899603; PMCID: PMC8083001.
Photo: Audioscan